Restoration and the return of the blue birds...

The bluebirds are back.

When we bought our land five years ago there were a number of bluebird houses and bluebirds all around. I loved watching them. Somehow with fence line clean up the houses got removed. For months the bluebirds remained but a little confused. Where had all the houses gone? But the next year the bluebirds were nowhere to be found.

That bothered me. I felt like we had destroyed something beautiful. I'm an outdoorsy person. I majored in Biology! I see the wonder of God in everything outside.

Our little bluebird mishap reminded me of the nature of humanity in general. We tend to screw things up! We tend to undo what God did when he spoke the world into existence.

But the great thing about God is that he restores and renews. And he's handed that job over to the church. Our job is to restore beauty to an earth that has been messed with. We are to restore beauty to relationships, to nature (the oceans would be a good place to start these days), to art, to education, to war torn countries, to abandoned cities, to overbuilt suburbs, to sin torn lives.

When we moved onto our property this spring I asked Jim and Darline Thompson to build ten bluebird houses. They did and what do you know. The bluebirds are back! It's a little thing. But I think it's very symbolic of our ministry as a church...restoring what is broken. Bringing beauty back to where it belongs.

Now, look around. What can you do to restore God's beauty around you?

Back to "Normal"

The past three months have been a whirlwind for me, our staff and many volunteers as we have pushed hard to move from the mall to our building. I feel like we did a good job. Going into a move you never know what will happen but our church community REALLY CARES and it showed. People stepped up in every area to make the move a great success. Thanks!

The physical move went well. It will take a year or more to know if we made the emotional and spiritual move well. If, in a year, we are back on track...growing spiritually, growing in our relationships and reaching more people, then we can call the move a total success. We need to keep working at that though.

Right now I'm eager to get back to "normal". For me "normal" means building friendships and helping people know God in a way that produces lifechange for them. It means looking outside of our community to help others in significant ways. To some degree that has all been put on hold while we packed and moved boxes and greeted people who are new to Cedarbrook. It's been fun...like one big party...but parties can be superficial. You can't party forever and I'm starting to feel that now. I'm ready for normal. I hope you are too!

The reality is that we'll be greeting new people for months to come. We've always been a church with lots of newcomers. We are a big target right now and many people are checking us out. So we need to find a way to welcome newcomers and keep moving forward with our mission. We need to find a way to incorporate newcomers so they can become a part of our mission and not just be observers sitting in the bleachers watching the rest of us.

So please invite people to join you in your small group, on your ministry team, on your mission trip. They may not know it but they are looking for more than a Sunday meeting. They are looking for something that will change their life and finding a purpose outside of themselves that helps others will do that for them.

Join me this Sunday as I start my new series... REthink Church...learning from the early church in Acts.

On the Eve of the Grand Opening

People ask me all the time how I feel about the Grand Opening. It changes every minute!

Part of me is just tired! We've been at this for so long. I'm looking forward to getting back to life as normal. But that's just the whiner in me.

Part of me is afraid. I'm afraid that we'll have more people come than we can welcome well. So much of who we are is relational. I don't want people to feel like just another person in a mass of people. I want people to feel like they matter to us and God when they walk through our doors. Right now I'm not so sure that's what people are feeling. But what REALLY encourages me is all the people pitching in to help make Cedarbrook welcoming. We've got people volunteering to manage our facility and people volunteering to clean and people volunteering for the Welcome Team and people who just up and do what needs to be done...like taking on the job of bringing in gravel to create 40 more parking spots. How cool is that!

Part of me is excited. I've already seen so many new people checking out Cedarbrook. It gives me a glimpse of all the new life change that is about to take place as people start to experience God and community in new ways. And that's what we all about...life change. So that's what keeps me going.

Part of me feels displaced. I'm just not used to nice things. We've been pioneering for so long. I feel like I'm in someone else's building and someone will come and say, "Okay, Remy, your time is up. It was fun to dream but now you have to go back to reality." It will take time for the new building to feel "normal".

And a big part of me is overwhelmed with thanksgiving. I have to just stop every so often and pinch myself to reflect on what God has done. I saw a picture the other day of our "nursery" back at the theater. What a joke! We created a wall of gates, boxes and garbage cans to keep the kids from running around. We've come so far so fast. How can you not see the hand of God in all of this????

So...I'm a basket case, huh! I've heard that others are struggling with a mixture of emotions as well. It's all a part of the transition that I warned us about two months ago. It will pass and good things will come through all of this. Thanks for being a part of it all.

I hope you'll go out of your way to welcome our guests in the coming weeks!

First Service...Surreal

The first service at our new home was great...really fun to see the excitement in everyone's eyes. It was great to hear the singing after eight years of the sound being absorbed by our bad acoustics! The crowd was quite large and parking was a fiasco but solvable. Thanks for coming out if you were in the crowd.

I've heard a few people use the word "surreal" to describe the new building and the first service. Surreal means surpassing reality, other worldly, a bit strange. Yeah, that's how I've been feeling too and I think it has to do with the abrupt change that comes with transitions. Even though you see it coming for a long time the change takes place so fast.

It's like when I got married. I knew it was coming. I prepared for it. But then one minute I went from single to married and it was just a little weird. It took time to adjust to my new status.

I think that's why biblical Jews had rituals for transitions...seven days of mourning when someone died and seven days of festival and celebration when something good happened. They knew that you don't just flip a switch and keep going at your same rate of speed. It takes time to readjust.

So even though we are all excited and thankful for our new home...it will still take time to reorient ourselves. So don't feel bad or guilty if you are feeling a little askew. You'll come around. I think when I see new people engaging and getting involved at Cedarbrook I'll feel like we are more back to normal and less in the production mode.

Book Review: Bonhoeffer...pastor, martyr, prophet, spy

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young pastor during the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany. He led a movement called the Confessing Church which encouraged German Lutheran churches to break away from the state church because of its support of Hitler. He joined the conspiracy to kill Hitler and eventually paid for it with his life.

I’ve read a bit about Dietrich Bonhoeffer as well as two of his books (Cost of Discipleship and Life Together) but this book was very illuminating. It goes into great depth about Bonhoeffer’s life as well as his theology, which I found very interesting (although the average reader may find that the theology and the discussion of the Confessing Church is more than they want to know). The author drew extensively from letters that Bonhoeffer, friends and family wrote as well as his writings and journal entries which gave the book a high level of credibility.

If you’ve seen the movie Valkrie then this book will fill in a lot of the back story behind the failed assassination attempt on Hitler. It reveals that the conspiracy ran much deeper than the movie implied. And the fallout was deeper too…with about 1000 people being implicated, tried and killed.

The book gives interesting detail of Bonhoeffer’s last days even though we have no writings from him at that time. One of his fellow prisoners wrote about it extensively.

Bonhoeffer is an inspiration. He was a man of great conviction and as the subtitle suggests, a prophet. He knew where Hitler was taking Germany long before most people has any clue. While the nation was embracing Hitler, Bonhoeffer was warning the nation and the church of where things were headed. Though cumbersome in some parts I think this is an excellent read.

Disclaimer: I review books for Thomas Nelson in exchange for free books. But I’m free to write anything I want about the book, good or bad.

Confessing my poverty mentality...

I had a strange feeling as I sat in our conference room with our staff yesterday. We were in an adequately sized room with furniture that wasn't cast off from someone's tired living room. The air conditioning was keeping us cool on a hot day. The room was well lit and...I felt guilty. What was that all about????

I thought...oh no, I'm not going to be able to function here. It's too nice. We've always been "lean and mean" when it came to purchasing. Scrimp, scrimp, scrimp. How can I justify anything this nice? But then I realized what I was doing. I was revealing the poverty mentality that pioneers often have. It's this weird blend of pride and self righteousness that says... if you really love Jesus you won't buy anything new. You'll just get by with what you can.

This attitude appeals to pioneers. We are wired to get by on very little and we tend to think that because WE feel this way everyone else should too. But not everyone is wired that way. They see the worn out furniture and wonder if we take ourselves seriously. They wonder if we really believe in our vision. They wonder if we care about others and not just your spiritual pride. They look at something like meeting in a mall and wonder if we have any sense of permanence and tradition. I think these are fair questions that pioneers need to answer.

You see, pioneers are not more spiritual than settlers. Even pioneers have to settle down at some point. And when they do...they need to deal with their pride. I know I do.

I would have loved to have had our new building for Brian Hartz's funeral...a place to welcome his family and friends...a lobby where they could all gather in couches and tables to talk and reflect. With our new building we can offer that...at funerals, weddings, baptisms and every Sunday morning.

Nice is not the enemy of spirituality. Nice can bring welcome and comfort. I mention this because I know many of us at Cedarbrook are pioneers and we will struggle with having a quality building with nice furnishings. But remember...it's not about us...it's about our guests. I really believe that our new building will send a strong message to our community that we value them and have done our best to create a welcoming environment for them to encounter the living God.

Join me in shedding pioneer guilt and being thankful for all that God has given us...for HIS glory.

One week to go...

We closed out our time at the mall yesterday. Transitions are so odd. There comes a time when there is a break from the past. You see it coming, coming, coming...it feels like you will always be in that in-between state...and then there is a break...a final act...and the past drops away like fuel tanks on a rocket ship as it goes to Stage Two.

Yesterday was that break. We packed up the stage, sound equipment and final kids equipment. We stacked the chairs one last time and now our mall days and mobile days are over. So final.

Some of us will miss the mall...it's casualness and accessibility. I personally tend to live in the future a few months. I've been holding services in my mind at our new building for so long that it will feel fairly normal to be there! But I'll always remember the mall. The theater days were days of new beginnings. We were cutting our teeth and just trying to pull off a Sunday service. But the mall is the place where I believe we became a community. That's where a lot of us got to know each other. That's also the timeframe that we added a number of staff. So I'll always carry memories of those years with me.

We did a good job of celebrating the past yesterday...one service...good food and great stories. But now it's time to move on. God has called us to become rooted to reach more people and offer them the same Life that we've been given. I'm ready. I hope you are too.

Fasting for God's Name

It's May and we turn the corner on finishing off our building. I was there today with our designer (Tracy Taylor) going over the colors and furnishings one last time (I hope!). It's all coming together.

I think you'll be surprised at the look. It doesn't look like a church...not at all. It looks more like a lodge, not only on the outside...inside too. The colors are warm earth tones and we'll have cafe tables and couches throughout the lobby. Field stone accents the lobby and auditorium. We intentionally made it very warm and welcoming because most people expect the opposite from church! We hope people will come early and stay late talking. Church is not a meeting. It's not the building either. It's people in relationship. But a good building can facilitate relationships and I think our building will do that.

If you've been tracking with my recent sermons series (Transitions) you've heard me say that our purpose as a church is to make God's name great. I want so much for our existence to do that for God. And to pray to that end I'm fasting in May as my way of dedicating myself and the church to that goal. Each week of May I'll change the fast and break it on our opening Sunday, May 30th. I'd love to have you join me for a meal or all 29 days! Here's my plan;

• Week One: no sweets or coffee
• Week Two: above plus no meat
• Week Three; oatmeal for breakfast, beans, rice and lettuce for lunch and supper
• Week Four: liquids, fruit juice, tea, Slimfast

Book Review: Tithing...test me in this

Who would have thought that a book on tithing could be a page-turner? But Tithing...test me in this, was just that. Douglas LeBlanc's interview with individuals or couples about their experience with tithing (giving away 10% of their income) was an easy read that inspired me toward generosity.

LeBlanc starts the book with a simple overview of the practice of tithing which I found very helpful. He quotes a number of early church Father's showing that tithing was the norm for the early church showing that it wasn't abandoned because of the New Testament teaching of grace. He said that tithing is like prayer in that God doesn't need our help but welcomes our joining him in his kingdom work. When we open our grip on money we invite God's blessing on us but when we tighten it we miss an opportunity to join God at work.

Each interview flies by as people relate how they came to be tithers and how they see God has blessed them for it. It's more of a book of stories than teaching but each chapter teaches you about the discipline of tithing through the people's experiences with giving.

LaBlanc interviews some notable people, one being Ron Sider, author of the classic, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger and Randy Alcorn, author of a number of books including The Treasure Principle, a helpful book on principles of generosity from the Bible.

Many people referenced Malachi 3:10 as an inspiration for their tithing practice. This is where God told Israel that if they tithed on their income that He would bless them. And God even said..."test me in this". In other places God says that we should not test him but we are given the right to test God in one area; tithing. Give to God his ten percent of your income and see if God is not faithful to meet all of your needs.

Some commons themes that came up from different interviews was that:

• tithing is a simple matter of obedience to God. It was never meant to be an option.
• tithing is the beginning, not the end of generosity. Tithing is a discipline that gets our generosity wheels turning when our natural selfishness would cause us to keep everything to ourselves.
• tithing acts like training wheels on a bike. It gives us guidance in our early days of giving. As time goes on giving 10% is kidstuff compared to true generosity. After awhile we stop thinking about how much we are giving and think more about how much we keep for ourselves.
• tithing was never done to receive a blessing but nearly every interviewee talked about seeing God bless them in many ways both tangible and intangible. Frederica Mathewes-Green said..."When we tithe, the blessings keep flowing in faster than we can bail them out again!" page 13.

The church has gotten a bad rap for "always talking about money". Tithing...test me in this, bypasses this complaint and shows how tithing is an invitation to share in the character and joy of God through generosity. If you are currently tithing this book will remind you why you do. If you are considering the practice it will convince you to take the risk.

Note: I review books for Thomas Nelson Publishers for a chance to read free books!

The Reality of Walking with God

I've been enjoying the Lenten posts from Larry Crabb's devotional that I recommended in a previous post. He's been hitting the theme of what it REALLY means to walk with God. It's not all fun and games. He's not a God who runs around keeping us from scraping our knees and wiping our nose. He's a God of great purpose and wants to include us in that purpose. But he doesn't always include us in on all the details and we need to learn to humbly accept that fact.

Here's part of his post from today. Click the link at the end to read it all or to subscribe yourself...

The Book of Jonah

God says, you are growing up. You can no longer celebrate My love the way a little boy celebrates the care he receives from a good mother, from a tender woman who provides her child with a nutritious meal and a sweet dessert and then, after an hour of play and reading, tucks him into a warm, comfortable bed with the promise of another fun day tomorrow.

Part of growing up, of seeing Me as I am, tempts My followers to run from Me, to establish a safe distance from the distinctly unsafe and inexplicably disagreeable ways I sometimes involve Myself in the lives of those I love.

You are growing up. Your days of naïve worship and shallow but exciting intimacy are
over. It is always difficult for a child to become an adult, to draw close to Me as I AM. read more...

Celebrating Lent

Lent is the 40 days that lead up to Easter. The word simply means "spring" since it is during springtime. Christians have used this time, like Advent before Christmas, to prepare themselves for Easter.

Someone asked me the other day if we celebrated Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent which was last Wednesday). I said...not yet. She wondered why we didn't and I told her that most evangelical churches (as compared to the mainline denominations) dropped some of the traditional church calendar observances as a reaction against an overly ritualized church. The services lost their meaning and people were staying away in droves so they were simply dropped.

But like anything, we need to revisit past decisions and see if they are still accurate...still relevant. Sometimes we just need a break from ritual to make it fresh again. There's nothing wrong with ritual as long as it's meaningful. Every Sunday service is a ritual no matter what kind of church you have. Some rituals are boring and some are kept fresh.

So for those of you that like ritual and are able to keep it fresh, take heart. We might add other church calendar days back into our schedule if we sense a passion for it. Moving into our own building will help because we've only had the banquet center available to us on Sundays and Good Friday. I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts.

By the way. If you are interested in receiving a free daily devotional during Lent from Dr. Larry Crabb click the link provided. Dr. Crabb sends this out daily and each devotional summarizes a book of the Bible and spoken as if from the mouth of God. It's short. You can read it in 60 seconds. Almost 100 people have signed up for it already.

Book Review

I have agreed to occassionally review a book for Thomas Nelson publishing. Here's my latest review on the book; Finding Purpose Beyond Your Pain by Paul Meier and David Henderson, both Christian psychiatrists.

When I sent off for the book, Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain, I was looking forward to reading it. I’ve known about one of the authors (Paul Meier) for years and have enjoyed hearing him on a radio show. He gave very practical advice. As a pastor I have had the opportunity to counsel many people through painful episodes in their lives and I was looking forward to the insights that two Christian psychiatrists would bring to the issue. But the book was a bit of a disappointment to me. They underplayed their psychiatric knowledge and overplayed on their biblical knowledge so what the book ends up being is good common sense wisdom that might come from most seasoned Christians. It’s not a bad book. I’m sure that it will be helpful to many. But it’s not the in-depth look at the issue of pain that I was looking for. As a result, I felt like it slipped into Christian cliché at times, giving the standard answers that I’ve heard all my Christian life. Again, that’s not necessarily bad…I was just hoping for a fresh perspective from two doctors.

The book is broken into seven parts, each focusing on a different pain with four chapters per issue. The seven pains discussed are; injustice, rejection, loneliness, loss, discipline, failure and death.

Dr. Meier occasionally broke into story telling about his life which I found very engaging. I wished he had spent more time drawing on his personal life experiences rather than both doctors spinning a variety of anecdotes in each chapter.

If you are a relatively new believer this book might be just what you are looking for. But for more mature believers I think it will leave you wanting more.

Podcasts on Marriage and Faith

I download sermon podcasts all the time to hear from some of the better preachers in the country. Andy Stanley and John Ortberg usually serve up some pretty good stuff...practical, biblical, clear.

This past week they both had series posted that I think you'll find helpful:

• iMarriage- a three part series on marriage by Andy Stanley.
• Can Smart People Believe in God? - a three part series by John Ortberg. The second session was John interviewing theologian Dallas Willard with some tough questions about faith. The link takes you to a video but you can also download mp3's. If you go to itunes and search for Menlo Park Presbyterian Church you can get all the services that Dallas spoke at. He answered different questions in each service. Good stuff for people that struggle with questions regarding faith, God, the Bible, etc.

Both of these series can be accessed through iTunes as well. Enjoy.

How to Make Resolutions that Stick

I'm not preaching this week. It's amazing what I have time for when I don't have to prepare a sermon...like blogging. I would like to do it more.

I get blog updates from Michael Hyatt, president of Thomas Nelson books. Today he sent out a helpful post on how to make your New Year resolutions actually happen. I thought you might appreciate his advice...

In order to make your resolutions stick, you need to employ four strategies:

1. Keep them few in number. Productivity studies show that you really can’t focus on more than 5-7 items at any one time. And don’t try to cheat by including sections with several resolutions under each section. This is a recipe for losing focus and accomplishing very little. Instead, focus on a handful of resolutions that you can almost repeat from memory. Mine fit on one 4″ x 6″ card.
2. Make them “smart.” Resolutions are really just annual goals. But like all goals, they should be s-m-a-r-t:
   • Specific—your goals just identify exactly what you want to accomplish in as much specificity as you can muster.
   • Measurable—as the old adage says, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
   • Actionable—every resolution should start with a verb (e.g., “quit,” “run,” “finish,” “eliminate,” etc.)
   • Realistic—you have to be careful here. A good resolution should stretch you, but you have to add a dose of common sense.
   • Time-bound—every resolution needs a date associated with it. When do you plan to deliver on that resolution. It could be by year-end (December 31) or it could be more near-term (March 31).
3. Write them down. This is critical. There is a huge power in writing your resolutions on paper even if you never develop an action plan or do anything else. Henriette Anne Klauser documents this in her fascinating book, Write It Down and Make It Happen [affiliate link].
4. Go public. Tell your family and friends what you are committed to achieving. Better yet, post your resolutions on your blog like my son-in-law did. Going public creates accountability and leverage. Several years ago, I blogged about my goal to run a half marathon. Once I did that, there was no turning back. People would ask, “So how’s your training going?” I wanted to have a good answer, so I would haul myself out of bed and go run.

To illustrate, I have five resolutions for this year:

• Read through the entire Bible by December 31, 2010.
• Finish the second draft of my new book by March 31, 2010.
• Mentor eight men, once a month, beginning on January 12, 2010.
• Write 208 blog posts (four per week) by December 31, 2010.
• Run the Country Music Half Marathon on April 24, 2010.

You can read the full post here.

Michael's blogsite home is here.

Recent Cedarbrook Photos

Here are a few recent pics. Three from the World Hunger fundraiser at Pizza Hut and one of our flooded auditorium! For more photos go to our Facebook page.

New Tagline: Connect, Grow, Serve

I asked for input a few weeks back about a new tagline. I got some good input. People offered a number of creative ideas. One I liked the best was, Cedarbrook Church...know God, no guilt. I think that reflects well the spirit of who we are which is the purpose of a tagline.

After thinking about many options we settled on something more functional...Cedarbrook Church...connect, grow, serve. We had already decided that we would use these three words in brochures and on the website to help show movement within the church. We want people to understand that Cedarbrook is not about a Sunday meeting. People who want to engage at Cedarbrook should move beyond Sunday to connect with other people, grow deeper spiritually and start to serve others.

• Connect: initially through Cedarbrook 101
• Grow: primarily by joining a small group
• Serve: in church ministries, Lend-a-Hand outreach and missions
  

Since we had already agreed to use these three words to show movement we decided it was best to simply use these words as our tagline...reinforcing the idea of movement rather than introducing a new idea altogether. We want to keep the messages simple and memorable so people know what step to take next to grow in God.

Thanks to those of you who shot me your ideas! It all went into the mix of decision making.

Book Review: Fearless

Fearless, by Max Lucado, is a word spoken in season. As he closes his book, Lucado notes that a British researcher counted the use of the term “at risk” in British newspapers. In 1994 the term was used 2037 times. By the year 2000 the term was used 18,000. Had the world really become nine times riskier in just six years? Sometimes it feels that way.

Lucado takes on the variety of fears that we all experience (the fear of being insignificant, the fear of running out, the fear of disappointing God, the fear of not protecting my kids, etc.) relying on well known New Testament stories to give us perspective. But the chapter that struck me the most was the very first as he sharply defined the nature of fear…

Fear creates a form of spiritual amnesia. It dulls our miracle memory. It makes us forget what Jesus has done and how good God is. The fear-filled cannot love deeply. Love is risky. They cannot give to the poor. Benevolence has no guarantee of return. The fear-filled cannot dream wildly. What if their dreams sputter and fall from the sky? The worship of safety emasculates greatness. No wonder Jesus wages such a war against fear. Page 10.

Lucado’s book moves swiftly, an easy read. But don’t let that fool you. His words are rooted in truth and will encourage you to face what ever is currently staring you in the face. It’s well worth your time to equip yourself for the threats that face us every day.

Sermon Input Welcome

I'm starting a new series soon (this Sunday or next, depending on whether or not Brian Hartz can speak on Sunday).

I'm thinking it would be nice to get your input. I'll let you know what I'm looking for and you can provide me with a story, a thought, a video, a song or whatever. I'll take appropriate jokes too!

Now... the upside on this is that my sermons should be more interesting. I think we'd all like that!

The downside is that I can't possibly include everything that everyone suggests. So...my fear is that I'll hurt feelings. So, here's the deal - if you offer an idea, etc. you have to offer it with no expectations of it being used. Sorry! But...the truth is I factor in everything I hear...so even though I may not use what you gave me...I WILL consider it and it will impact my thinking...keep me balanced and all that.

With that said, my next series is on the letter of 2 Peter (Something's Missing...a final word from Peter). I'll be laying out the background to the letter which involves Peter's anger at how false teachers have led the church astray and into immorality. I'd be interested in hearing some stories about how that may have happened in your church history...where a leader misled you or your church and immorality resulted.

Thanks!

Help us with a tagline

At Cedarbrook we are working at repositioning ourselves in the community with a new tagline. Up to now, our tagline has been...Cedarbrook Church...come and be refreshed. That was a good descriptor of what we were trying to achieve in the early days...help people see church as a GOOD place to come...a place that was approachable and accepting vs. a place that crammed religion down your throat and handed you a list of harsh rules.

We still want people to come and be refreshed but we also want to communicate that Cedarbrook is a place where you can experience change...a place to find your purpose...a place that will impact you for good in some way.

So we are looking for a new tagline. At a staff/LEAD retreat recently we considered over 50 taglines and narrowed it down to one or two but I'd love to get more input. If you'd like to contribute some ideas that would be great. Keep these things in mind;

1. The tagline should relate to finding purpose, experiencing life change or connecting with God and others.

2. It should be five words or less (preferred).

3. The audience the tagline is speaking to is primarily people OUTSIDE of Cedarbrook and OUTSIDE of the church. It's targeted at people who might consider Cedarbrook so the tagline should help this person get a glimpse into who Cedarbrook is and how Cedarbrook might impact their life. For example, General Electric's tagline has been...GE...we bring good things to life. But, the tagline will also serve as a reminder to INSIDER's of who we are.

Other popular taglines...

• Verizon...can you hear me now?
• Subway...five dollar foot long
• Las Vegas...what happens here, stays here (good tagline. Bad thought)
• Redbull...it gives you wings

These taglines illustrate the point well...with one short phrase you GET the essence of who they are and what they offer.

You can post your idea here or email me directly. Thanks. I'm not sure how I'll process them. But I hope to at least share the ones that stand out and get more feedback.

A Look at Fear

I just agreed to review books for Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for a free book. The first book I got was FEARLESS by Max Lucado. I'm not ready to review it but his first chapter is captivating. Here's a taste...

Oversized and rude, fear is unwilling to share the heart with happiness. Happiness complies and leaves. Do you ever see the two together? Can one be happy and afraid at the same time? Clear thinking and afraid? Confident and afraid? Merciful and afraid? No. Fear is the big bully in the high school hallway: brash, loud, and unproductive. Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty, or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business. Courage did that. Faith did that. People who refused to consult or cower to their intimidities did that. But fear itself? Fear herds us into a prison and slams the door.